Palestinians returning to ‘toxic wasteland’ in northern Gaza

Residents say that the rubbish flooding the streets of Gaza City is creating new health risks.

Displaced Palestinians returning to northern Gaza have found once-bustling cities reduced to toxic wastelands, according to residents and aid agencies.

Shocked by the level of destruction, Gaza City residents are calling for action over a building sanitation crisis in the enclave’s largest city, Al Jazeera reported on Monday.

A scene of devastation has met those hoping to rebuild their lives in the northern reaches of the enclave, the focus of the most concentrated Israeli military action during the war. The dangers of damaged buildings are matched by missing public services and streets filled with heaps of rubbish.

Last month’s ceasefire deal prompted a rush by displaced people to return to the north. However, Gaza City remains without running water or reliable power.

Towns are lacking basic services like water and healthcare, said Tess Ingram of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

“They’ve been shocked by what they’ve returned to,” she said from Gaza City.

“They had hoped that their homes, their neighborhoods, their communities maybe had been spared. And as they come back here and realize that’s not the case, the hope they’ve been holding onto for 15 months crashes.”

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